The Right StuffThe Right Stuff
Score Classic
What it's about
Tom Wolfe's account of the test pilots who pushed jets past the sound barrier in the Mojave Desert, led by the legendary Chuck Yeager, and of the Mercury Seven astronauts chosen for America's first space program in the race against the Soviets. He explores the mysterious quality of courage they called "the right stuff," and what happened when these daredevils became national heroes and the faces of the space race.
Why it's worth reading
It's exhilarating, funny and full of swagger, written in Wolfe's dazzling, rule-breaking style, and it won the National Book Award. It's one of the most entertaining nonfiction books ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert OppenheimerGood to know
Wolfe's style (exclamation points, slang, long riffs) takes a few pages to get used to. No technical knowledge needed.
By the numbers
- Readers83 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking, Adventurous
More by Tom Wolfe
The Bonfire of the Vanities
A Man in Full
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid TestIf you like this, read next
The Lord of the Rings
A Brief History of Time
Cosmos
And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic
The Mismeasure of Man
The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Right Stuff worth reading?
Yes. It's exhilarating, funny and full of swagger, written in Wolfe's dazzling, rule-breaking style, and it won the National Book Award. It ranks #111 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Right Stuff about?
Tom Wolfe's account of the test pilots who pushed jets past the sound barrier in the Mojave Desert, led by the legendary Chuck Yeager, and of the Mercury Seven astronauts chosen for America's first space program in the race against the Soviets. He explores the mysterious quality of courage they called "the right stuff," and what happened when these daredevils became national heroes and the faces of the space race.
How long does it take to read The Right Stuff?
About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Right Stuff won?
National Book Award (Nonfiction) winner (1980).
What should I read after The Right Stuff?
If you liked it, try Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham, The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes or American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.